If Your PS4’s Clock Battery Dies, So Does Your Console

Nothing lasts forever, at least for the most part, and we usually expect that with our electronic devices due to wear and tear. However, if you own the PS4, it seems that inside the console there is a ticking “time bomb” in the form of the console’s clock battery, where if the battery dies, so does your console.

This is according to a report from trusted hacker Lance McDonald which was made in response to a tweet by Does It Play, an account dedicated to video game preservation. According to McDonald, the PS4’s clock battery is tied to the PS4’s trophy system to prevent gamers from exploiting it.

However, the problem is that because of this tie-in, it means that when the battery dies, and it eventually will, it will render all digital files unusable without a server reconnection. It also seems to kill disc playback. The semi-good news is that replacing the battery is possible and relatively easy, but there are some concerns that in the future, should Sony ever shut PSN down, there would no longer be a server to reconnect to, which ultimately turns the console into a brick.

It seems that Sony could easily remedy this with a patch, but whether or not they want to is unclear. We have no idea how long the CMOS battery is supposed to last, but if you’re planning on keeping and playing your PS4 for the years to come, this is something you’ll have to take into consideration.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Gadgets, Gaming
Tags: PS4, Social Hit, Sony